Steam in the 21st Century

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Ok, then how would you put a reactor in a compact size of a steam locomotive. How would you control it so it doesn't have a meltdown. Because it would have less water surrounding the fuel rods and how would you deal with the heavy water? One leak and you are screwed.
 
How about a Nuclear Powered Steam Locomotive?
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They tried that back in the 50's and had a testbed one but the wight was just to much to ever work, also looked at an airplane.

Nuclear power is getting safer, it will probably be THE power source of the future.
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Only if they get nuclear fission to work as there is not enough Uranium in the word to supply the US with power at todays usage.

Wonder if water turbines could be used in steam engines like a dam?
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I hope that was a joke.
 
NevadaNorthernFan901 said:
Ok, then how would you put a reactor in a compact size of a steam locomotive. How would you control it so it doesn't have a meltdown. Because it would have less water surrounding the fuel rods and how would you deal with the heavy water? One leak and you are screwed.
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Hi again NNF901,

In addition to your comments quoted, I would think that NO State and NO city in the USA would allow a mobile reactor to move through their State or City.

I am not surprised at the lack of understanding of nuclear facts displayed in recent posts.

Regards,
 
aardvark1 said:
Hi again NNF901,

In addition to your comments quoted, I would think that NO State and NO city in the USA would allow a mobile reactor to move through their State or City.

I am not surprised at the lack of understanding of nuclear facts displayed in recent posts.

Regards,
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I adgree with you also there aardvark. It would just be insane to do that. I would be scared s...less knowing there is a mobile bomb that could wipe out an area the size on New York traveling down the rails. It just never will happen, even if someday nuclear power is the safest thing in the world. But again all the terrorist would then have to do is bomb a locomotive.

NNF901
 
whitepass said:
Only if they get nuclear fission to work as there is not enough Uranium in the word to supply the US with power at todays usage.

quote]

Um yes there is, in all the uranium in the world it has more energy than all the coal, oil, and gas combined. Also Australia has the largest deposit of Uranium in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium_ore_deposits
look here for more facts.
Uranium is 40 times more common than silver and 500 times more common than gold.

Another link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_uranium_reserves

NNF901
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aardvark1 said:
In addition to your comments quoted, I would think that NO State and NO city in the USA would allow a mobile reactor to move through their State or City.
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Not tooo long ago people said the same about wagons/carriages without horses, they also believed that flying is not possible and that whe will have no use for telephones.
 
I do agree with the whole compact size thing, the reactor at the nuclear power plant was very big, most likely over 50 feet long, luckily, they only need to refuel it once every 18 months. Also, it is a problem with the limited water supply a locomotive could carry. So I do agree, nuclear power is not for mobile platforms... on land. However, it has had great success on the sea.
 
I saw something interesting on youtube this guy powered a 2 pistion engine with compressed air. Do you think compressed air could work?
 
They did make compressed air locomotives for use around industrial areas and places where you could not have all of the dirt and soot. These locos actually looked quite similar to steamers, but they had to be re-fueled with compressed air once they ran out. Probably not good for main line haulage, especially because you would need to have higher air pressure for heavier loads, which means a heavier and more expensive train for the materials.
 
jmeinig said:
They did make compressed air locomotives for use around industrial areas and places where you could not have all of the dirt and soot. These locos actually looked quite similar to steamers, but they had to be re-fueled with compressed air once they ran out. Probably not good for main line haulage, especially because you would need to have higher air pressure for heavier loads, which means a heavier and more expensive train for the materials.
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And in underground mining operations.
 
robogo said:
Not tooo long ago people said the same about wagons/carriages without horses, they also believed that flying is not possible and that whe will have no use for telephones.
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In the early years, cars, planes and phones were NOT available and people did not know what they could do, thus the negativity.

Nuclear has been around for many years and people know the risks involved.

Back to you..........
 
Beattie said:
I saw something interesting on youtube this guy powered a 2 pistion engine with compressed air. Do you think compressed air could work?
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Maybe for for small shortline operations and branches. And in city operations in railyards too. I don't remember where but I think in europe, but they have air power switchers.
 
robogo said:
Not tooo long ago people said the same about wagons/carriages without horses, they also believed that flying is not possible and that whe will have no use for telephones.
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I know but nuclear is very dangerous it could level a whole city and nobody can come back for decades. I think our best options are better fuel source for steam engines, build a more efficient steam engine with same fuel, or completely redesign the steam engine.
 
You know, the best option here is We build a Fireless loco or make electric Boxcabs.
 
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aardvark1 said:
Nuclear has been around for many years and people know the risks involved.

Back to you..........
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Aaa, you okes are just scared of all that power man:D

There are millions of people living around nuclear power plants, don't hear to many of them complaining.

The latest subs weighs only 26 000 tons, that is fuelled, armed and ready to go, they have a range of 1 500 000 km's, their reactors only measure 4.6 by 1.8 meters, surely that can be pimped into any modern sized electric or diesel.

If you want steam back, it will have to be nuclear powered, coal is dead.
 
robogo said:
Aaa, you okes are just scared of all that power man:D

There are millions of people living around nuclear power plants, don't hear to many of them complaining.

.
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I do live about 15 miles away from a Duke energy nuclear power plant.

Oh, and okes is spelled........... okies.

Not complaining.

Back to you.................
 
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